Iran FM to visit Russia to attend Caspian talks

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is scheduled to travel to Russia to attend a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Moscow, Iran's ambassador to Russia says, PressTV reported.

Zarif will be heading to Moscow on April 22, Mehdi Sanaei wrote on his personal Facebook page on Wednesday.

He will also meet with his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting to exchange views on regional and international developments.

The meeting comes before the 4th summit of heads of Caspian Sea littoral states due to be held in five months.

Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are the littoral states of the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water by area, and is variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.

In November 2013, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Foreign Ministers of the five Caspian Sea littoral states are due to meet in Moscow in spring 2014 to determine the legal regime of the Caspian Sea.

The issue of the Caspian Sea's legal regime has gained importance following the breakup of the USSR and the emergence of newly independent states.